{"id":1093085,"date":"2022-08-30T15:08:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-30T20:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/?p=1093085"},"modified":"2022-09-20T11:29:53","modified_gmt":"2022-09-20T16:29:53","slug":"nike-john-geiger-reach-settlement-in-trademark-infringement-lawsuit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/nike-john-geiger-reach-settlement-in-trademark-infringement-lawsuit\/","title":{"rendered":"Nike, John Geiger Reach Settlement in Trademark Infringement Lawsuit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s not every day that Nike goes from engaging in a year-long legal battle to acknowledging that they respect the very person they filed suit against while giving their well wishes for the continuation of that person\u2019s business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s been a little over a year since Nike<\/a> amended its lawsuit against La La Land Production & Design, Inc.<\/a> to include notable designer John Geiger<\/a>, accusing him of trademark infringement and brand confusion with the rising popularity of his signature model, the GF-01<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On August 30, 2022, Nike issued the following statement, announcing the parties had officially reached a final settlement and the case was closed: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Making shoes inspired by popular models of larger brands isn\u2019t anything new in the sneaker world; from customizations of actual silhouettes to the rise of independent brands, the very essence of what made sneaker culture what it is today \u2013 individuality expressed through fashion \u2013 continues to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, however, we have also seen a number of lawsuits<\/a> accusing independent artists and designers of infringing on trade dresses owned by larger brands in an attempt to stop their operation and cease sales of their products, forcing many creatives to change course or stop their businesses altogether. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Geiger, a Pittsburgh native, has been shaking the table and disrupting sneaker culture since his first shoe, the \u201cMisplaced Checks\u201d \u2014 a never-before-seen take on an Air Force 1 featuring 16 different Swooshes, each one made of a different premium material. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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John Geiger’s “Misplaced Checks”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Since then, Geiger has released a number of original models, leading up to the GF-01. In Geiger\u2019s own words, the GF-01 was “inspired by\u201d the Nike Air Force 1 and Geiger has never shied away from owning the fact that the shoe carried a resemblance to the 1982 classic that has remained one of Nike\u2019s top sellers year over year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In October 2020, Nike sued famous sneaker designer Warren Lotas<\/a> for infringing on a number of trademarks associated with the Nike Dunk<\/a> after Lotas was selling a massive number of sneakers bearing an eerily close resemblance to the Dunk Low, with only a few changes, namely a \u201cJason\u201d mask where the Swoosh lies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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WL “Pigeon”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From that suit emerged another lawsuit<\/a>, in which Nike sued the maker of the Warren Lotas Dunk, La La Land Production & Design. John Geiger was later named as an additional defendant in the suit since the GF-01 was previously manufactured by La La Land. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A settlement was reached in that suit, forbidding La La Land from producing any more \u201cinfringing products,\u201d such as the Warren Lotas Dunk or the GF-01; however, production for the GF-01 had already been moved to a new manufacturer, continuing Nike\u2019s battle with Geiger, even after La La Land\u2019s case was closed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since August 2021, Nike, Inc., and Geiger have been engaged in a legal battle<\/a> to determine if the GF-01 did, indeed, infringe on Nike\u2019s trade dress for the Air Force 1 and cause \u201cconfusion\u201d in the market. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1982. Patent term of 14 years. pic.twitter.com\/BjLfAglr5Y<\/a><\/p>— John Geiger (@JohnGeiger_) June 30, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote>